It rained all day today. There were little bits of sun through the clouds but mostly it poured. Joy has me looking at rain through new eyes. And asking questions.

Like…How does one enjoy the rain when it’s pouring rain?
And your car broke down.

In the end, at the end of the day, everything was fixed (with the car). And even though Mother Nature was still sweeping through town with torrential downpours, all is well. And wet.

Maybe that’s part of becoming more joyous – learning how to sing in the rain. I think it starts with a song on the radio. Then maybe a whistle. And finally, a wail at the top of your lungs in the shower serenade.

I might still be in the whistling stage. But I’m learning to sing!
After that… who knows, I might even dance.

Oh. Joy!

More tomorrow…

Lovemore,
Jamie

{sing}
#lovemore

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I met this little angel today… 10 weeks old! She was recently adopted by my friend and this pup couldn’t be cuter if you tied a bow on her head.

Ah… the joy of puppies.

I’m not sure why puppies are so adorable. But I do know this, they fill me with happiness and there couldn’t be anything better on a rainy day.

Puppy joy… now that’s something that someone should bottle. It’s like the secret sauce to a happy life. Maybe that is mostly because it lasts for a few months, only a few moments in the whole scheme of life.

Maybe that’s another secret to this whole joy promise?
Enjoying the process. No matter what stage you’re in.

More tomorrow…

Lovemore,
Jamie

{puppy joy}
#lovemore

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In the category of things that bring me joy…. there is this. Finger crocheting. That’s right. Thick yarn. So soft. So big and chunky. I’m pretty sure I’m doing it all wrong. I’m pretty positive that I have already messed it up. And I am confident that my corners and turn are downright uneven.

But I still love it. And it brings me joy.

Maybe that’s the whole point.
More tomorrow…

Lovemore,
Jamie

{en-joying}
#lovemore

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Ah, birthdays. How I love thee. So much so I took the day off ….just to play!

Today was an adventure, a joy ride of sorts. After pampering myself at the salon I decided to go for a surprise adventure. Down a road, any road. And then Chuckanut Drive was right in front of me. So I took it.

With sweeping views of the bay.

And places to pull off the road to take photos and paths to walk.
Then I found myself in a little, tiny town called Edison. Oh, Edison, you are so quaint.
With yummy foods to eat!

The only problem was, after ordering my meal I was informed the cafe only took cash — or checks. Cash or checks? I usually have none of these things in my purse. Bank cards, yes. But cash? I had to check.

I scrounged through my wallet and pulled out six dollars. I was ten dollars short of a meal. And I was on my surprise adventure so I didn’t even think to bring my checkbook. It sat in my desk all the way back home.

“You can just mail us a check.” The beautiful young lady said to me with a smile.

“Mail?” I repeated. “Like …send you a check in the mail?”

“Yes!” She smiled and wrote the cafe’s address on the back of my receipt. “You’re good for it.”

Wow. What a birthday gift I thought to myself.
And then I thought… where am I?

This level of trust never happens in our modern world. Did Chuckanut Drive whisk me down a time machine portal and plant me back in the 1950’s? To a little town that still accepted cash and CHECKS. To a store clerk that just shrugged it off with an I.O.U. handshake for a future check to be sent via SNAIL MAIL?

As I ate my avocado toast (which tasted simply divine) I counted my lucky stars and the minutes on the clock before the cafe closed. I was the last customer they would serve on this day.
Then I popped across the street to another artful adventure. A yarn studio.
Actually, I’m not really sure what to call it — but it was artful and beautiful and all made of yarns and silks. With my newfound joy of crocheting, I asked the artist all about her yarns and was mesmerized by the process.

We compared notes on yarn and I told her about the “finger” crochet blanket I am attempting. We laughed about the insatiable, irresistible pull a skein of yarn can have on one’s heart. And the need to finish just …One. More. Row.

Then she hugged me goodbye. She hugged me. Physically hugged me. And I hugged her back. What a surprising little store and friend to make over the beauty of art.
She told me to stop at the bread store before leaving town. So I did. Afterall, she hugged me. I trusted her advice. And she said that this store had the best bread in the entire state of Washington.

The bread store was also a quaint throwback to a simpler time. Packed with cookies and pastries and loaves of bread with an open bakery to watch all the action behind it all. I picked up a gluten-free treat and headed to the counter to check out.

As I stood in line I saw a sign that said, “Cash or Check Only.”Seriously? With all my cash gone and an I.O.U. already in my wallet, I put my cookie back on the shelf. Saving it for another day.

As I left the little town of Edison, I stumbled upon a Blueberry patch.
And a crop of birds!
But the best part of the day, and my adventure was coming home. To a dinner out with Justin and a surprise dessert tray delivered by our waiter.

It included a little white box and two cards.
The first card was from Pup and Brady (of course!)
And the second was from Justin.

The white box contained a jewelry box and these gorgeous, one-of-a-kind earrings. Which is the best complement to a flourless chocolate torte that a girl could ask for!

All in all, the day was more than a joy ride. It was a surprise joy ride.
And aren’t those the best kind?

Just like life is, really.
We may never know what’s around the next turn, but with a few hugs and maybe an I.O.U. here and there, we can make it through with flying colors.

And, of course, tons of joy.

More tomorrow…

Lovemore,
Jamie

{joy ride}
#lovemore

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I received this in the mail from Smith College. It’s a little token of thanks for the recent webinar where I shared my story and everything I have learned over this promise (in its 8th year!).

The magnet couldn’t be more perfect. I haven’t stopped blogging since the day I started. Mostly because it continues to propel me forward, teach me more than I ever could have imagined, and surprise me every single year.

The bottom line is…it brings me joy.

There is joy in that — even in the everyday slog, the days where I have nothing to say and the moments where it feels like I have nothing to share. Mostly because those days add up to weeks and then months, and then seasons. And each season has a lesson. Each year has a reason. But I wouldn’t see it if I didn’t show up – every single day.

Want to find your joy? As a little magnet I know says…Don’t stop working for it.

More tomorrow…

Lovemore,
Jamie

{joyfullness}
#lovemore

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So, this is growing and getting bigger and bigger by the day. My newfound love of yarn is becoming insatiable.

It’s the joy of a hobby. I love how soft the yarn is and how easily my fingers stitch it together (after some practice and a lot of mistakes). The yarn just goes where it is supposed to without me telling it what to do. My fingers lead the way.

It has me thinking about joy – and the joy of a mindless hobby. It’s amazing how much energy a hobby can return to you, like the gift that keeps on giving. There is no pressure, no competition, no stress, no expectation.

Just pure joy.
And isn’t that how life should be?!

More tomorrow…

Lovemore,
Jamie

{hobby time}
#lovemore

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Like this:

On my walk to the mailbox today I had a total epiphany … spring is coming! It brings me so much joy to think that the flowers are coming soon. Soon-ish, anyway. Until then…. I’m thinking and praying….bloom, baby, bloom!

Oh, joy!
More tomorrow…

Lovemore,
Jamie

{bloom}
#lovemore

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Year 2: Lovemore+Fearless
2012 sent me rafting down the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon where I slept next to scorpions. I tossed my old engagement ring in a fountain in Paris, and swam with sharks in the Bahamas. In the end, I learned more about LOVE than fear.

Year 3: Abundance
My promise in year 3 was to dive deep into abundance, which included a promise to give away a gift a day. Ironically, there was something else in store for me as I found myself moving across the country, having surgery, and giving away my thyroid. It all started a little Card Crusade and my biggest lesson yet was to come in the form of a doozy: health is our greatest wealth. Abundance indeed.

Year 4: Peak Performance
Surprise! 2014 sent me back to the surgical routine. Getting a surprise diagnosis, mastectomy and reconstructive surgery all in one swoop. Overall, it probably saved my life. Ironically, I ended up with two NIKE swooshes in the form of scars across my chest. The sign of Peak Performance?

Year 5: BLISS!
It's all about that bliss, 'bout that bliss, no trouble. This year was all about FOLLOWING OUR BLISS. And follow it we did.... all the way to Bellingham, WA! Who would have thought? And now... here we are.

Year 6: Yoga for a Year
Yoga every single day. I did it. Really, I did it! Not every single day was amazing but I downward dogged it on planes, trains, across the "plains" crisscrossing this country. What did I learn? To be kinder to myself. And this: just showing up creates miracles (for me that's Crow!). In the unprecedented events of 2016, I also learned our world needs a whole heaping dose of kindness.

Year 7: Intentional Acts of Kindness
You guessed it! As I move into Year 7 (what??!!) this year's promise is all about kindness - the intentional kind. How will it unfold? I have no idea. But I do know this, the magic happens when we make promises and show up. I hope you join me in making promises and reaching for your goals too.

xo~Jamie

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